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Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma lauded the launch of the AI-based digital infrastructure in agriculture (Bharat-VISTAAR), saying it will bring prosperity to farmers' lives and mark a new era in India's tech-led farmer welfare, similar to the Aadhaar-UPI digital revolution.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, CM Sharma urged Rajasthan's farmers to fully embrace this transformative tool. "This scheme, implemented through AI, will bring prosperity to farmers' lives and advance them in every field. Aadhaar and UPI have made India a leader in the digital revolution. Today, along similar lines, AI-based digital infrastructure in agriculture is being launched. This is a testament to India's technological prowess and commitment to farmer welfare. Rajasthan's farmers will also benefit greatly from this, and we want our farmers to fully utilise it, as it is a crucial tool in a farmer's work," he said. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and CM Sharma launched Bharat-Vistaar (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) at the State Institute of Agricultural Management (SIAM) in Durgapura. According to a Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare release, this AI-based platform will provide farmers with information on weather, market prices, pests and diseases, soil, crop advice, and government schemes, all in one place, via phone calls, chatbots, and, later, an app. In Phase-1, this facility will start in Hindi and English and will reach lakhs of farmers in several states, including Maharashtra, Bihar and Gujarat. The launch program will see virtual participation from lakhs of farmers across the country through the networks of state agriculture ministers, Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendra's (KVKs), agricultural universities, and other agricultural institutions. 'AI for Agriculture Roadmap' will also be launched by Union Minister Chouhan and CM Sharma, while announcements of 'AI Hackathon' and 'AgriKosh' will also be made by them. Bharat-VISTAAR is the Government of India's farmer-centric, AI-powered digital public infrastructure, which will deliver reliable information to farmers by connecting various government and scientific sources. On this platform, farmers will be able to view information and status related to weather, market prices, pests and diseases, soil health, crop management, and at least 10 major central government schemes. It has been designed as a Voice-First AI so that even a farmer with a simple feature phone can benefit from it just by making a call. For this, the telephonic helpline number 155261 has been linked to the platform, along with facilities like voice input-output, website, and mobile site chatbot, and an Android app will also be released. (ANI)
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